Tuesday, March 22, 2016

KENVIR, Ky. (BP) -- Black Mountain Missionary Baptist Church absolutely gleams in the sunshine with a fresh coat of paint on the outer walls and brilliant yellow daffodils blooming on the manicured lawn.

There are no signs of the arson that charred the insides of the historic church, which dates back to the days when this was a working coal camp. The soot and stain and odor of acrid smoke are long gone. So, too, are the water-logged furnishings, ruined in the mad dash by firefighters to extinguish the blaze. Read More

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- It's not wise to "start somewhere other than, 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,'" R. Albert Mohler Jr. told 600-plus middle and high school students.

"The start of your story is in eternity when God created the heavens and the earth and determined that you would exist," Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said at a wisdom-themed youth conference at the undergraduate Boyce College on the Louisville, Ky., campus. Read More

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Pastor Protection Acts adopted in multiple states and under consideration in others seek to protect the right of ministers not to perform same-sex weddings. But the bills have drawn mixed reviews from religious liberty proponents.

Three state legislators who have served as Southern Baptist ministers told Baptist Press Pastor Protection Acts are helpful even though they should be supplemented by broader guarantees of religious liberty in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage. Read More

MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP) -- Tony Merida challenged students during a series of preaching lectures at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary to "make the Hero of the Bible the hero of your sermons."

Merida, associate professor of preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke during the Golden Gate's Hester Lectureship March 16 and 17 on the topics "Preach the Word: A Renewed Vision of Preaching" and "Him We Proclaim: The Need for Christ-Exalting Exposition."

"When I was in seminary, [we used to say] that we need to preach life-changing sermons"... Read More

Diana Davis suggests ways to give a boost to church planters and their wives in addition to your gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions and, year-round, through the Cooperative Program gifts your church sends to support Southern Baptist missions and ministries. Read More

Formed in 1946 by the Southern Baptist Convention, and supported with Cooperative Program funds, Baptist Press (BP) is a daily (Monday-Friday) international news service. Operating from a central bureau in Nashville, Tenn., BP works with a large network of contributing writers, photographers and editorial providers to produce BP News.